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And with the thought that he may have seen my bare ass, I cleared my throat to pull his eyes back to my face.
“I don’t think you have time to assess what valuables I possess, Huntsman.” Not that I had any on me, they were all hanging off my pack. I prayed I wasn’t a complete idiot and this man didn’t end up robbing me. But I had assessed his fine clothing, and what I had, he could easily purchase himself with the Queen’s coin. Then my eyes snagged on the sword at his hip. I recognized the hilt, and awareness swept through me. That sword was one I had made. I had forged it and infused my magic into the blue stone in the pommel. I had spent painstaking hours on the wolf’s head at the base of the stone. It was one of my best pieces; my father never told me who commissioned it. How disturbingly ironic.
“Why are you so willing to assist me knowing she sent me to murder you?” His deep voice pulled me from my thoughts as my eyes went to the tears in his shoulders from the wolf’s claws.
“I think there might be some use to this debt.” I would not tell him I had created his blade.
He exhaled a deep, soul-wrenching sigh.
Did he expect me to help him out of the goodness of my heart? I might have before this journey, but this trip had been a tragic revelation for me, and I was finished doing things because I was a good person.
As Beautiful as a Blade
Another debt owed.
What the fuck was I going to tell Amira?
She was going to slaughter me for this. I would still need to kill the girl. Save her life, get the debt paid, then kill her. It was fucked up, but I had little choice.
My heart stuttered. This young woman had saved me. Even after she knew I was there to kill her. Instead of cowering or killing me, she pulled out a bargain. How clever.
She was like nothing I would expect. Like none of the other girl's Amira sent me to kill. Those girls were all delicate and average. Fair and lovely, but ordinary. This girl was beautiful, yes, but as beautiful as a blade. Dangerous and deadly—to wield with respect and care. It was intriguing.
We made our way steadily to the closest village. She was silent as we rode. It was strange having her pressed against my back. Touches from another resulted in pain, humiliation, or sex for me now. There was no gentle touch by another that didn’t benefit one party in a way. But my soul shuttered from the contact, the press of her body in such an innocent manner. I shivered with the awareness but hoped it was the pain playing tricks on me.
The wolf hadn't hit an artery, thank the Beyond, but it was still an acute injury that could quickly kill me. I had to trust this girl to get me to a healer, or I may not wake up if I passed out. My mortality should scare me, but death did not frighten me after the things I’d seen and been forced to do. I would welcome it. It would be more justified than the life I was leading. It certainly would be nicer to pass out and die peacefully than to die from whatever cruelty the queen doled out if I went back empty-handed.
Autumn. I had infiltrated the weaponsmith shop to find the girl gone on thisquest.While inside the shop, I had overheard the weapon maker use the name Autumn, and I had to assume that this girl was her. I was also sure that was the weapon maker Bereille commissioned blades from, my own included. Autumn was the bladesmith’s daughter, which was why she had weapons hanging off her horse's pack. She was delivering them to Demora. Demora must have commissioned blades for the threats of the Winterwood creatures. Instead of getting me to take care of the issue, as per usual, the royals wanted to prove they could manage the threat themselves. It pissed me off because it meant I couldn’t leave the palace as often. Being stuck there now made me restless and miserable. So I was happy when the queen told me she had a job for me.
I was a sick, twisted bastard for wanting that, knowing the death of an innocent would be the undeniable result.
It was a little strange to know my target’s family. Even though it was only through Bereille’s praise and the gifted blade, it still felt profound. It was bound to happen at some point. I was lucky she hadn’t sent me to kill any girls I had grown up with. How would I feel if that happened? Perhaps that’s where my line was. I had to have a line, didn’t I? One I wouldn’t cross for the queen or her contract. Deathwouldclaim me when that line came because although I seemed like a heartless bastard, I wasn’t. Whenever she sent me to kill a girl, pieces of my heart and soul went with them. I wept for the life lost, the families, the husbands, and the children they may have had. I tried not to investigate too much, but sometimes it was challenging to figure out who the girl was without learning their history and familial ties.
Like this time, withthisgirl.
My beautifully crafted blade felt heavy on me, and I wondered if she had seen it in the shop and would recognize it.
My heart beat faster. This was not how this was supposed to go. Four years had gone off without a hitch, and now this. But letting the girl live felt right.
I was so fucked.
Safe
Jay. Jay.
I looked at the sky and smiled warmly as the blue jay banked and fluttered at my side before resting upon my shoulder. Tevere snorted a greeting, and the jay sent a blissful note in return. I ran a finger against Iro's chest.
“What have you done, my friend?”
“I… saved him,” I whispered.
The bird shook his head and fluffed his feathers. A sure sign of dismay.“I’m not sure that was wise.”
My eyes traced over the strong back of the hunter. My hand gripped his waist to ensure he didn’t fall off. “What do you mean, Iro?”
“Death surrounds this one.”
“He is the Queen’s Huntsman.”
